Numerous machines include rotating components. For example, turbomachines such as wind turbines, gas turbines, steam turbines, pumps, fans, generators, motors, and other forms of commercial equipment frequently include shafts, blades, and other rotating components. It is known in the art to install one or more sensors on the rotating components to measure various characteristics of the rotating components in order to control, monitor, and/or enhance the operation of the rotating components. For example, sensors that measure the temperature, velocity, stress, strain, vibrations, and/or other characteristics of the rotating components may allow for early detection of abnormalities, adjustments to repair or maintenance schedules, and/or other actions to enhance operations.
Various slip ring and telemetry systems are known in the art for transmitting the sensor data from the rotating components to stator components for further analysis. A slip ring assembly generally includes a rotating component which is fixedly coupled to a rotor shaft of the turbomachine and which includes a rotating center core or shaft. The center core is electronically coupled to the sensors within the turbomachine. Multiple contact surfaces are defined along the center core and each contact surface is electronically coupled to one or more of the sensors. The slip ring assembly also includes a stator or stator component which at least partially surrounds the center core. The stator includes multiple brushes mounted within an outer body and which make electrical contact with one or more of the contact surfaces of the center core. An electrical signal or current from the sensors is transferred via the brushes from the rotating center core to a signal processor such as a computing device and/or controller.
In particular configurations, the stator of the slip ring assembly may be supported by multiple bearings which are mounted on the center core. As a result, the cantilevered stator is susceptible to vibration due to various factors which may include rotor shaft imbalance, slip ring imbalance and/or slip ring run out. A free end of the slip ring, the furthest point from the rotor connection, is the point at which vibration amplitude may be the highest. As a result, it is plausible for the slip ring to experience excessive vibrations which may impact overall performance of the slip ring. Therefore, a damping system for a turbomachine slip ring which is coupled at one end to the rotor shaft would be useful.